Novel technique enables tiny bone prosthetics to be made from titanium:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Tiny prosthetic bones replicating structures such as the stirrup - a small bone in the ear - can now be made from titanium using a novel injection-moulding technique. The technique - called micro metal powder injection-moulding (micro-MIM) - uses a fine metal powder that enables the replication of very small structures, said the developers of the technology, based at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Applied Materials Research (IFAM) in Bremen, Germany. It has been possible for some time to make small metal parts from stainless steel. Until now the production of tiny metal parts has used techniques such as etching or milling which is a very complex and time-consuming process, and not suitable for many types of metal.